A comparison of impulsivity measures in the prediction of post-treatment drinking

Research suggests that impulsivity is related to increased substance use and negatively associated with positive treatment outcomes. Research concerning impulsivity in alcohol treatment may be used to inform the development of prevention approaches. Impulsivity is a multi-dimensional construct and numerous impulsivity measures have been developed. Most self-report measures like the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) assess impulsivity as a personality trait and show little relation to measures of impulsive behaviors. The Lifetime History of Impulsive Behaviors (LHIB) is a self-report/interview measure designed to assess the occurrence of specific behaviors, and thus requires less self-insight regarding impulsivity. The current study sought to compare the BIS and LHIB in predicting drinking outcomes after alcoholism treatment. Participants were 31 alcohol-dependent adults (25 men; M age = 46.2 years) assessed before and after 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral treatment. Participants completed the BIS, LHIB, and drinking measures (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Short Inventory of Problems, and Timeline Follow-back Interview). Separate logistic regressions were conducted with post-treatment binary drinking outcomes (heavy drinking, severity, problems) serving as dependent variables and pre-treatment BIS and LHIB scores serving as predictors (controlling for pre-treatment drinking). Results suggest that the LHIB is better at predicting heavy drinking whereas the two measures were equally effective in the prediction of alcohol-related problems. Neither measure was effective at predicting alcohol disorder severity. These preliminary results suggest that impulsive behavior, as measured by the LHIB, may be more useful in the development of prevention efforts focused on reducing risk for relapse among heavy drinkers.